Prosecutors Obtain Arrest Warrant from Court and Execute It
Review Likely Within 48 Hours on Whether to Request Detention Warrant
Bakery Worker Affiliated with Minjunochong Suspected of Coercion to Resign
Prosecutors investigating the allegations of SPC Group's 'coercion of Paris Baguette bakery workers to leave the union' forcibly secured and are currently interrogating Huh Young-in, chairman of SPC Group (74), who repeatedly refused summons on the 2nd.
The Public Investigation Division 3 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Im Sam-bin) obtained an arrest warrant from the court on charges of violating the Labor Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act against Chairman Huh and executed it on the same day.
It is known that prosecutors executed the warrant around 8 a.m. at a hospital in Seoul where Chairman Huh was hospitalized, then transported him to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for interrogation.
Previously, Chairman Huh had refused three summons requests from the prosecutors but appeared on the afternoon of the 25th of last month, only to leave after an hour, complaining of chest pain. He had also refused the previous day's summons citing health reasons.
Prosecutors are investigating suspicions that from July 2019 to August 2022, PB Partners, a subsidiary of SPC, coerced members of the Paris Baguette branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Textile and Food Workers' Union to leave the union and imposed disadvantages in promotion personnel matters.
They also suspect unfair labor practices, such as supporting the securing of members for the management-friendly Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) Food Industry Union PB Partners labor union and having the union chairman A give interviews or statements aligned with the company's position.
During the investigation of related parties including Hwang Jae-bok, CEO of SPC (indicted in custody), prosecutors reportedly secured statements indicating that Chairman Huh ordered unfair labor practices.
In addition to the unfair labor practice allegations, prosecutors plan to verify whether Chairman Huh was aware of and tolerated SPC Executive Director Baek (indicted in custody) receiving various investigation information such as seizure warrant requests and internal review reports from a prosecutor's investigator and providing hundreds of thousands of won in entertainment as compensation.
Prosecutors are expected to decide whether to request an arrest warrant based on Chairman Huh's statements and attitude during interrogation within the 48-hour detention period.
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